Safety-guard for elevator-hatchways



(No Model.)

J. P RIGHARDSON. SAFETY GUARD POR ELEVA'IOR HATGHWAYS.

Patented Sept. 25, 1883.

N. PETERS. Phalmnugnpm. wnmngum o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormes.

JOHN P. RICHARDSON, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SAFETY-GUA RD FOR ELEVATOR-HATCHWAYS.

SPECIFICATION formingV part of Letters Patent No. 285,681, dated September 25, 18853.

Application flied Tuly 21,1883. (No model.)

hatchway, and it relates to the raising of such' guard when the elevator approaches or is at the floor, and of lowering the same to its position to guard such entrance when the elevator leaves the iioor.

The invention consists of a guard or gate to an i opening or entrance to a hatchway of a building at any floor thereof, constructed alld arranged to `be raised and lowered in suitable l guideways at such opening, and to be respecthatchway with an elevator or car arranged to travel therein, and having applied at the opening or entrance thereof on one of the floors the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical crosssection at right allgles to that of Fig. 1 and on line 2 2, Fig. l, looking from the elevator- 'platform toward the entrance. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3, Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section, to behereinafter referred to. i

In the drawings, A represents a hatchway, having arranged therein, to travel in the usual and ordinary manner, the elevator or car B.

C is the guard or gate to the opening D to said hatchway, in the present instance ill the form of a horizontal bar, and constructed and arranged to lnove or slide up and down by its ends a b in vertical-groove guideways d in front of said opening D above the floor E.

This guard C is suspended at asuitable height toV guard the opening D to the hatchway by ropes, cords, or chains vF and G, which cords or chains are respectively attached to the ends a b of the guard, andlextend up to and over pulleys f, g, and h, secured to the upper framework,H, and then together down at one side of the opening D, their other ends being secured to the end of one arm, Z, of a lever, K, arranged to swing vertically on a pivot, m, on the side casing gr wall of the hatchway. The other arm, n, of said lever K, near its end, carries a friction-roller, q, and the lever is so located and arranged in the hatchway relatively to the pathway or line of travel of the elevator that the edge r of a projection or cam, M, attached to the standard N of the elevpator, will abut against the periphery of said roller in the lnovenlents of the elevator in the hatchway and cause the lever to swing on its pivot, and by its arln Z, through the cords F and G, raise the guard to the height desired, and also allow alld control its descellt, as the case inay be, as will now be described.

The edge r of the cani M has two incline portions, s and i, which inclille portions are preferably concave in their lengths and are joined by the straight or vertical portion u, as,

shown in Figs. l and 4, for operation on`said lever as follows: As the elevator orcar ascends in the llatchway and approaches a iloor having this invention applied at the opening thereto the upper incline edge, s, will bear against the roller q of the lever K, and through the continued upward movement of the elevator the roller will ride up said incline, swinging the lever, and thereby its arln I, downward, consequently raising, through the ropeconnection, the guard, and when the roller reaches and bears on the vertical portion u of the cani-edge r the elevator will be at the floor, and so long as it remains at said iioor the guard will be held in its raised position, asshown in Fig. 4. If the elevator is then caused to move upward, the roller q of the lever will travel down the lower incline edge, t, which allows the arnl Z of lever K to swing upward, and thus the guard to descend to its proper position to guard the opening to the hatchway, as shown in Figs. l and 2. In approaching the floor by IOO the downward movement of the elevator the "raising and lowering of the guard is accomplished by the cam-edge r in a reverse manner-that is, as the elevator descends the lower incline edge, t, causes through the lever the guard to beraised, and the upper incline edge, s, allows and controls its descent. rlhe lever acts by the travel of its roller up either incline edge s or t to raise the guard 5 but the descent of the guard to its normal position to guard Jthe entrance to the hatchwayis by its gravity, but controlled in such descent by the travel of the roller down either incline edge s or t.

The roller g is located on the arm a of the lever K vertically relatively to its pivot m, (when the guard is down and during its movements above the horizontal plane of said pivot,) as shown more particularly in Fig. 1,by which, as the roller travels up the incline edge tof the cam in the downward movement of the elevator, the required downward swing or movement of the lever-arm Zto raise the guard at the opening is secured. rlhis arrangement of the roller on the lever is important, in order to secure from the incline edge t a downward swing or movement of the arm Z of the lever, which, as is obvious, is necessary to raise the guard, for if said roller were located'on the lever-arm n so as to be onor below the same horizontal plane of said pivot the action of the incline edge t as the elevator descended would cause the lever-arm Zto swing upward, which, as is obvious, would be in the wrong direction to raise the guard.l

By the above location of the roller g in relation to the pivot of the lever, as described, it is preferable that the incline edge t should be more or less concave in its length on account of the roller and the pivot being in a line nearly at right angles to said incline edge t, which causes more or less bind or strain upon the lever, preventing an easy and free worlc ing of the same, which the curving of the incline edge obviates. The line of curve of said incline edge at its lower end should preferably vary but a little from a vertical line, and then gradually approach the upper part of the curve, where from the then position of the lever and its roller, when acted upon by said incline, the said angle becomes so acute as to relieve such strain or bind. As the line between the roller and the pivot is nearly in the same line as the upper incline edge, s, such incline edge does not require to be concave, but can be straight, if desired.

Ilhe guard is raised and lowered at a speed regulated by the angle of the incline edges s and t and the speed of the elevator in its movements up and down the hatchway, and it is preferable that said incline edges should be gradual and of a sufficient length in relation to the speed with which the elevator travels to have the guard-move moderately, as its too sudden rise or fall might injure any person who should be hit by it. To insure the fall of the guard at the proper time it is weighted sufficient to overcome the weight of the lever and its connecting parts, but whether such weight is much in excess or not, its fall is regulated and controlled entirely by the movements of the elevator and the an gle of the incline edges s and t, as above stated.

Extending up from the end Z of lever K is a sector-arm, O, and in a groove, n, of its periphery, in the movement ofthe lever to raise the guard, the ropes F and G are guided and disposed. An arm, NV, connects the upper end of sector-arm O with the lever, near its pivot, to strengthen the same, although it can be dispensed with, and as well also the whole can be made solid. In the operation of the lever the sector-arm O serves to maintain the pull of the lever upon the ropes in the same vertical line, whereby a uniform mo vement of the guard is maintained as it is raised or lowered. By this invention a guard to an entrance to a hatchway is raised, and is regulated and con trolled in its descent automatically by the elevator in its movements up and down in the hatchway. The construction and arrange ment of the parts are simple, its operation is practical and efficient, it can be made at a small cost, is durable, not liable to get out of order, is easily and readily applied, and has vbeen found to work satisfactorily in all respects in practical operation.

The cam M can be attached to any part of the elevator. Its middle portion, a, can be of any length, according to the time it is desired IOO the guard shall remain in its raised position Y after the elevator has left the floor.

The sector-arm O can be dispensed with, although it is preferable to use it. One or both of the incline edges s and t can be straight, in lieu of being in a concave line; but it is preferable to have the lower incline edge concave, for the reasons stated, and the end n of lever K can bear upon the cam M, dispensing with the roller, although it is preferable to have the roller, as it reduces wear and friction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. Aguard to an opening to ahatchway, arranged to slide in suitable gnideways at such opening, in combination with a lever arranged to be operated by the elevator or car as it moves up and down in said hatchway in such manner that said guard, through said lever, is raised and lowered at said opening, for the purpose specified.

2. Aguard to an opening to a hatchway, arranged to slide in suitable gnideways at such opening, and connected by a cord or cords to a lever Vhaving a sector-arm, in combination with an operating-cam on the elevator or car, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

3. A guard to an opening to a hatchway, arranged to slide in suitable gnideways at such opening, and connected by a cord or cords to a lever having a sector-arm, in combination with an operating-cam on the elevator or car,

having two incline edges, s and t, for the purpose specified.

4. Aguard to an opening to a hatehway, ar ranged to slide in suitable gnideways at such 5 opening, and eonneoted by a oord or cords to a lever, in combination with an 0perating-ean1 on the elevator or car, having an incline ooneave edge, t, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

ranged to slide in suitable gnideways at such opening, and connected by a eord or cords to a lever, in combination with an operating-Cam on the elevator or ear, having incline concave r 5 edges s and t, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. A. guard to an opening to a hatehway, ar?- 6. Aguard to an opening to a hatehway, an ranged to slide in suitable gnideways at such opening, and connected by a cord or cords to a lever, in combination with a cani on the ele- 2o vator or oar, arranged to aot on one arm of said lever at a point above the horizontal plane of the pivot of Said lever.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing 25 witnesses.

- J. P. RICHARDSON.

Vitnesses:

EDWIN W. BROWN, XVM. S. BELLows. 

